Chuck Versus His Bare Feet
by Steampunk.Chuckster
Summary: Canon. Chuck Versus Phase Three. Chuck POV. This explores what happens after Chuck wakes up in De Smet's cabin and before the conference call with General Beckman at Castle.


**A/N: **Alas! Another filler scene, this time from Chuck Versus Phase Three. I had a request from one of my faithful reviewers, **KryptonitePoison**_, _to try a Chuck POV for once. So I did! Hope you enjoy it, friend! And I hope you all enjoy it, too!

Also, I want to thank **Porcelain78 **for reading this and giving me her input before I posted. You, my friend, are so amazing and since Thanksgiving was yesterday, I'll stick to the holiday and say I'm thankful for your friendship and Chuckversations we have on tumblr. You're AWESOME!

Hope all of my US readers had a great Thanksgiving!

**Disclaimer: **"Chuck" doesn't belong to me but I do belong to "Chuck". For the record.

* * *

Chuck heard her voice drifting down the hallway, coming from their bedroom. He followed it, pushing the door open to see his Sarah bathed in an ethereal light, her golden hair loose over her shoulders. The way she told him that she had come to rescue him only confirmed she couldn't be real. An angel in the nightmare that had been happening in his head for who knew how long. His mind was a blank as much as he searched it. There wasn't anything there. Not one person, besides the beautiful woman now standing next to their bed. And as much as he knew this Sarah wasn't real, that she was something the Mueller planted in his fitful mind, he wanted to cling to this moment. He wanted to let this Sarah guide him to wherever he was going. He didn't care, as long as she stayed with him. As long as she kept that smile on her face and the wide wonder in her incredibly blue eyes.

He felt her words tugging at his heart, and a part of him still wasn't ready to relinquish himself to her, just in case. He questioned Dream Sarah, but she stepped closer, her hands grasping his. Her fingers were warm and alive, her grip strong, and he clung to her hands, a strange feeling rising from his toes, moving through his legs. He felt weightless.

And he thought perhaps he was dying. Some higher power took pity on him and sent the one most important person in his life to guide him to the afterlife. He let her tell him about his proposal plan, which sent a spark of panic through him. How did Dream Sarah know about his proposal plan? He'd stashed it behind his pocket protector of the Nerd Herd button-up he wore to work. She couldn't have found it.

He realized suddenly that Sarah's words weren't those of an angel guiding him to the afterlife. They were the words of a woman in love. She wanted to spend the rest of her life with him…but how was that possible if he was dying?

"Come back to me, Chuck." Her hands framed his face, the way they always did, warm and very real against his skin. "I wanna marry you." He was enveloped in the depth of her eyes, in the power of her words and the sincerity in which she said them. And he knew, as the strange feeling was rising through him, tugging at him as it moved up his torso to his arms and neck, that this was real. Sarah was with him, wherever he was, and she wanted him back. And when the feeling reached the top of his head, he felt himself drawn to his Sarah like a magnet. He kissed her, his hands settling on her waist and scrunching the blouse in his fingers.

His eyes shut and her lips were suddenly wet and the warmth was gone, replaced with cold and pain. But he didn't care much because he knew the lips were Sarah's, and the wetness…her tears? Concern sparked through him and he opened his eyes.

She was there, close, her eyes flooded with tears that spilled down her face, her hair wet and clinging to her head. Disbelief swept over her still beautiful face, her hand cold and wet and clammy against his neck. And he suddenly didn't care about the intense confusion in his mind, or the pain in his limbs and especially in his head. Because he'd never seen such relief and exhilaration in Sarah Walker's face.

She gasped, her hands reaching out to feel him as if testing that he was real, that she wasn't dreaming, before settling back on his face. "Chuck," she quite nearly sobbed.

Chuck had no idea what had happened, why she was wet and sobbing for him, why he was in this room, why he was so cold, or why he was in so much damn pain. But he didn't care. Sarah was in front of him, she was crying, and he had missed her…wherever he'd been, for however long it was. He sat up, ignoring the pain, letting her half lift him into her with a sob as they kissed. Her lips were warmer now, real and alive. He felt her longing as she held his face to hers, and more of her tears dripped down to mingle with their lips. Chuck's heart was beating madly, threatening to burst from his chest as she pulled her lips away and leaned her forehead against his. She was still sobbing, her fingers grasping his face so tightly, as though she were afraid he would leave.

_Why would I leave? _He wanted to ask, but words weren't coming, so instead he stared into her face, his brow furrowed. He heard another voice…_Morgan_…Relief was in his voice as well. What was happening? And then Sarah's hands were grasping at his chest. _I'm here_, he told her with his eyes. _I'm not leaving. _And as if she understood, she gave him a nod and a sniffle, grasping his face and kissing him again.

And when she moved back, he managed a small smile of reassurance, and her features were lit in tearful euphoria. Ignoring the weakness in his limbs, he lifted his hand to touch her elbow, in an attempt to support her, let her know he was here for her, that whatever she'd just been through, whatever he'd just been through, didn't matter anymore. Because she was here, and he was here. And apparently Morgan was here, too. Wherever here was.

Chuck knew all he had to do was look passed Sarah's shoulder and he'd see Morgan, and maybe Casey, or Ellie. All he had to do was look up to see where he was, turn his head a little. But he didn't want to. He kept his eyes locked on Sarah's as she gave him a watery smile, her steady hands stroking his face.

When she breathed an emotional "Hi", her face still wet, her red-rimmed eyes the brightest blue he'd ever remembered them being, he wrapped his arms around her and held her, feeling her squeeze him to her, clinging again. He nuzzled his face into her damp shoulder and held her, his eyes slipping shut.

Her sigh lifted her whole body and he felt more tears drip onto his skin.

Images began to flicker over his eyes. Glass windows breaking, Ellie and Devon waving to him, faces laughing maniacally on a television screen, like an episode of the Twilight Zone. "Hey, we better get outta here. The clean-up crew's on its way," came the deep voice of John Casey. Chuck opened his eyes and saw the man standing over the limp form of the scientist who'd been using his brain as a science experiment for the last few…days, was it? Weeks? How long had he been in here?

Sarah pulled back and swiped a hand over her cheeks. She rested her cool hands on his face and looked directly into his eyes, searching them. "You okay?" she asked, her voice strong.

"Y-Yeah," was all he could manage.

They carefully helped him stand from the chair and he looked down at his bare feet. They felt like blocks of ice and when all of his weight was on them, he almost collapsed. But Sarah was there, her arms strong around him, her brows furrowed in concern. Morgan appeared on his other side.

"Come on, buddy," Morgan muttered, his voice trembling a little.

Chuck was tired and his head felt like Thor had brought Mjölnirdown upon it. So it was no wonder that the first words he was able to string together ended up being, "I don't have any shoes."

Laughter seemed to bubble up from Sarah and he glanced at her to see tears spilling from her eyes again. "It's okay, Chuck. We'll get you some."

"Okay," he muttered, his eyes on Casey's back as the man led them out of the cabin and into the thick of the trees.

The shadows covered them well. He could just barely see the dark silhouette of Casey walking at a slight kneel ahead of them, the barrel of his giant gun sweeping the woods, swinging back and forth. Leaves and twigs crunched under Chuck's feet and he counted it a blessing that he could feel the pain in them. He hadn't been feeling much of anything when he first woke up, except for the massive headache and intense discombobulation.

Sarah turned her face into his chest, her fingers rubbing against his cold wrist as she supported him. "You doing okay?" she mumbled in a quiet voice.

"Mmm," he replied with a nod. His limbs were beginning to work and he closed the hand she'd draped over her shoulder against her bicep. This seemed to spark a bit of confidence in her as she nodded back with a small smile.

It felt like months had passed by the time they arrived at an olive green truck. The night air was damp and cold, and he could feel Sarah shivering against his side. She was soaked through, he realized. Had it rained? What—?

"Walker, you stay with Bartowski in the back," Casey grunted. Chuck watched as the major opened the driver's side door and dropped his gun on the seat. Chuck was moved to the back of the truck and with all three of them clinging to different parts of his body, he was able to clamor up into the bed of the truck without further injuring himself. He plopped down onto his side and felt a strong pair of hands, definitely Casey's, shift his feet over. The truck shifted as the tailgate was slammed shut and Chuck sighed happily when a thick, warm blanket was draped over him. He felt a cool hand on his forehead and the weight of another body against him and his eyes fluttered open again.

The engine of the truck sputtered and they tore off, going…Well, Chuck had no idea where they were going, only that he could see nothing but Sarah's attentive and incredibly gorgeous face leaning over him. He felt her reach around his body with a strong arm and rub up and down his back to warm him and his mouth spread in a lazy, content smile.

Her face lowered and she kissed his temple softly, and that's when he heard her sniffle again. More wetness dripped into his hair and he summoned the strength to lift the blanket and tug her against him so that she was laying flush against him. He rounded her with the blanket and wrapped her in his arms as she burrowed deep into his chest.

How long had he been in there with the Belgian and the skeleton-like scientist with the creepy ponytail? He couldn't find the strength or words to ask her now, though, as she let the tears silently spill from her eyes. Her fingers clung so tightly to the material covering his chest, he wasn't sure she would be able to answer him even if he did ask.

Minutes passed, and Sarah's grip didn't loosen for a moment. Chuck struggled to stay awake but the warmth of the blanket over him, and the security of having Sarah Walker watching over him, made it incredibly difficult. He lost consciousness eventually.

* * *

The truck stopped abruptly, lurching Chuck awake. He blinked in confusion as Sarah lifted the blanket and eased herself out from beneath it. He couldn't help but whimper a bit as she moved away from his embrace and he saw her lips quirk into a small smile. Chuck felt his ears turn red in embarrassment, but he supposed it wasn't exactly news to her, or anyone really, that he needed her.

She helped him sit up and he felt weak again, his hands shaking as she helped him scoot to the back. Casey appeared from around the front of the truck and opened the tailgate, easily helping him down to the ground. His strong hands left Chuck's arms and the young man felt himself tipping to the side.

But Sarah was there again, catching him under his armpits, her arms wrapped securely around his torso. "Casey!" she ground out under the strain as Chuck tried in vain to right himself. Two hands gripped at the back of the flimsy gown Chuck wore and hoisted him upright.

"Use your legs, Bartowski," Casey growled in his ear.

Sarah glared openly at Casey, who let off a semi-apologetic grunt, and Chuck turned to flash a sarcastic look in the major's direction. "Sorry, Casey…they're a little distracted by the fact that they're not wearing any pants right now."

"Chuck's back!" Morgan clamped a hand on Chuck's shoulder and he winced, almost toppling over again.

Sarah's eyes flashed in warning at the little bearded man and set her hands gingerly on Chuck's sides. She looked in his eyes, the tears she'd just spilled in the bed of the truck having left little trace on her rosy cheeks. "Can you make it to the helicopter, Chuck? That's all you gotta do, okay? We make it to the helicopter and we'll be safe."

Chuck was filled with determination at the look in her eyes. She was worried, nervous, still wracked with fear. And she had the slump in her shoulders he recognized from prior missions when her adrenaline began to wear off and severity of the situation was beginning to get to her. He forced himself to meet her eyes and nodded. "Yeah. Yeah, I can."

"Okay." She smiled reassuringly, stroking a hand over his cheek. "Good. Let's get outta here, huh?"

He nodded again and they followed Casey. Morgan supported his weight as they moved toward the helicopter. A man in full fatigues hopped down from the passenger side of the cockpit and hurried to Chuck's side, taking a moment to salute Casey before helping Chuck into the cabin. As they lowered him into a seat, Sarah knelt at his side and slung a large, puffy black coat around him. He stuck his arms through the sleeves and she tugged on it a bit, zipping it up for him and buckling his seatbelt. He watched as she accepted a smaller jacket from one of the troops and pulled it on before buckling herself into the seat directly beside him. Her arm was pressed against his and it left him with that comfortable feeling again, like he could let his guard down and sleep and nothing could touch him.

As he felt her hand wrap his larger one in its embrace, her fingers threading through his and squeezing tightly, his eyelids fluttered. The fatigue and stress began pulling at him. His head drooped to the side.

The helicopter lifted off as his eyelids shut once and for all, the loud engine and propellers making conversation impossible anyways.

He still wasn't sure what had happened, how they'd found him, or why Sarah was so distraught when he'd opened his eyes in that chair. He didn't know where they were headed, or why, but when he felt Sarah rest her forehead against his jaw, her hair tickling his cheek and her warm breath against his neck, he didn't care.

With that comforting thought in his mind, he allowed himself to drift off to sleep, his head dropping against Sarah. The last conscious sensation was that of her lips against his hair.

* * *

Chuck was aware of a soft, rhythmic beeping just to his left, and the secure feeling of his boxer shorts and pants covering his bottom half. His torso was cold though, as were his arms. And he still didn't have shoes on.

"S-Sarah?" he rasped, immediately missing her soft warmth against his side. He expected a hand to stroke lovingly down his cheek or rest on his chest or shoulder. But there was nothing. No sound other than his ragged breathing and the beeping.

He cracked his glassy brown eyes open and immediately found a blinding white light glaring down at him. Wires covered his forehead all the way down his temples. His wrists were bound by velcro to the chair arms.

"Wha—What is this? Get me out of this," he whimpered. He looked around, realizing he was in some sort of examination room. There were no windows in the white room. He felt more than saw the movement of the man in the white lab coat. But the light was suddenly bright in his eyes again and he groaned and fell back to his seat. "What is this? Where's Sarah?"

"Mr. Bartowski, you're going to have to calm down or this won't work."

"What won't work?" Chuck asked. "Where's Sarah?"

"She's gone, Mr. Bartowski. Now focus. We need you to flash."

"I ca-can't. I can't flash. What do you mean she's gone? She was just next to me. In the helicopter."

"That was a dream. It wasn't real."

Fear shot through Chuck's limbs. Real, intense fear. Was this voice right? Had that all been a dream? Sarah had felt so real and solid against him in the bed of that truck, her lips caressing his, her fingers stroking down his face, the relief in her blue, blue eyes.

"You're lying. That wasn't a dream."

"It was. But don't worry. Give me just another ten minutes and it'll be gone. She'll be gone. Everything will be gone. Unless…"

Desperation fell over Chuck like a cold, wet blanket, seeping into his skin, into his limbs, causing him to tremble all over. No. He'd felt so safe with her. He'd been saved. She was with him and he'd missed her so much and he'd wanted nothing more than to stay in the bed of that truck with his arms around her. But that wasn't real. It had all been a dream. A cruel nightmare of what he longed for so badly his heart threatened to burst from his ribcage.

"No," he breathed. "No, please. Where's Sarah?"

He heard the frustrated sigh. "She's not here. She won't find you. Concentrate. You will lose everything if you don't flash. Flash for us, Mr. Bartowski, and you can have everything you want."

"I can't flash. I just want Sarah." He felt tears then, hot and wet, spilling down his cheeks. "This isn't real. You're not real. I can't be here."

"Flash, Mr. Bartowski!" the voice commanded and a white hot pain went through his head. Everything became foggy.

"Sarah…"

"Chuck."

"Sarah, please…"

"Chuck!"

"Sarah!" He sat bolt upright, pain shooting through his head and his hands tingling. He blinked wildly, taking in his surroundings and she was there beside him, wearing a brown long sleeve button-up blouse and jeans, her hair pulled back into a messy ponytail. Her eyes were terrified and weary, dark circles under them. Her fingers trembled as they stroked his temple.

"Chuck, I'm here." Her voice wavered and she swallowed, searching his eyes as he blinked rapidly.

"Sarah." Her name came out of him in a relieved huff of air. He lifted his hands up to feel her face, then lowered to clutch at her arms. "You're real?"

"I'm real, Chuck." She smiled at him, her eyes suspiciously bright and wet. "It was just a nightmare, but you're awake now. You're okay."

"I missed you." And then she was pressed against him, her lips on his face, and he reveled in the perfect fit of her front pressed against his. He turned his face to kiss her ear, then her hair and her cheek. "I missed you so much."

"I missed you, too," she whispered, her arms squeezing him tightly, as if she were afraid to let him go. When she pulled back, he looked down at his feet.

"Still not wearing shoes," he lamented. That got a laugh out of her and he grinned. Her face melted at that and she grinned back and surged forward to kiss him. He laid back against the bed and carried her with him so that her torso covered his and her legs dangled off the side.

A door opened somewhere off in the distance and Chuck didn't care until he heard a soft clearing of the throat. He didn't really care much even then, but Sarah must have because she pulled away and clamored to her feet, wiping her cheeks of the tears. "Doctor Sandlin," she said with a professional nod.

A man in his mid-forties stood at the door and stepped further into the small examination room. "I see Chuck is awake." The usual bit of humor Chuck expected to be on the man's face was nonexistent as he stopped at his side and lifted a clipboard up to his face. "How are you?"

"Uh…" Chuck swallowed. "C-Confused."

"Confused how?"

"I don't know where I am or how I got here."

"You fell asleep on the helicopter on the way to the airport. According to Agents Walker and Casey, you woke up with amnesia."

"Wait, I-I don't remember this."

"Well, you wouldn't. That's why it's amnesia." Chuck could feel Sarah's grip on his hand tighten and he unconsciously gave her fingers a comforting squeeze.

"Chuck, we woke you up to get on the plane when we got to Bangkok and you didn't know who we were. You couldn't even tell us your name." She cleared her throat and blinked rapidly. How did he not remember any of this?

His brow furrowed, he looked to the doctor. "But…I don't understand."

"The tests De Smet and Doctor Mueller conducted on your brain didn't have the effect they were hoping for, thanks to Agents Walker and Casey interrupting when they did, but it caused some damage."

"Damage?"

"Nothing permanent, it seems, according to what I've seen so far, especially since you seem to remember who Agent Walker is now…at least, I _hope _so." Chuck felt his face flush and he refused to look at Sarah as much as he wanted to. Now there was a glimmer of amusement in the doctor's gray eyes, though it died quickly. "It did, however, seem to trigger a delayed bout of amnesia. Your brain was overworked, picked and prodded at. Phase Three was programmed to strip you of any and all memories or attachments in the hope that there would be nothing to impede the Intersect's flashes. It's a wonder the amnesia wasn't permanent. It should have been with the number that was done on that brain of yours."

Sarah squeezed his hand again and he looked up at her, unsure of whether she was attempting to reassure him or if she was seeking his reassurance. Either way, he nudged her hip with their joined hands, forcing her to look down at him. There was real worry in her eyes, and as much as she'd masked it for the doctor's benefit, no doubt, he saw right through her.

"We had a CIA doctor on the plane who sedated you again until we could land here," she explained, looking away from Chuck even while her thumb stroked the back of his hand.

"Where's here?" Chuck asked, his throat dry. There was an entire portion of his life in which he was awake, interacting with Sarah and Casey and a doctor apparently, and he couldn't remember any of it. It made him uncomfortable, to say the least. And a little afraid. Exactly what had this Phase Three done to his brain?

"We're in an underground secure space on the island of Kauai."

"We're in Hawaii?" Chuck asked. He'd never been to Hawaii before, and this hadn't been how he planned his first visit. He'd always imagined Sarah in a bikini, plenty of margaritas, pigs roasted in holes in the ground, pineapple everything, kayaking, snorkeling with sea turtles, wading in the ocean with Sarah locked in his arms, a luxury hotel with couples massages, his own private Sarah Walker massage, and plenty of sex. He fought a face-consuming grin, but Sarah must have caught him and understood exactly what was going through his mind, for she didn't bother to hide the mischievous smile and glimmer in her eyes.

Chuck looked to Doctor Sandlin, forcibly pushing his straying thoughts out of his head. He was still trying to process exactly what had happened to him, what was still happening to him. The tingle in his fingers and the pain in his head still had not abated.

"Yes, Chuck. You were supposed to fly all the way to Los Angeles, but Doctor Young thought it best to take care of this problem as soon as possible. If there was a chance we could undo the effects Phase Three had on your brain, we didn't want to waste any more time."

Chuck's eyes flicked to Sarah. She was staring at the ground beside the bed, her eyes unfocused and stormy. He tried to imagine how she must have felt having him wake up and not remember who she was. And after they'd all thought they were home free, as it were. The doctor pulled his attention from his beautiful kick-ass spy girlfriend by wrapping a blood pressure cuff around his arm.

"Just checking your vitals to make sure everything is alright. Take deep breaths."

Chuck did just that as the doctor performed the regular tests, peering into his eyes with the light shining in his pupils, which didn't help the headache any.

"Any pain or numbness?"

"My head hurts pretty bad."

"To be expected. That might be a problem for the next few hours. Anything else?"

"My, uh, my fingers—hands—are kind of numb. Or, uh, tingling."

"I see."

"What's that mean?" Sarah interrupted.

"Hm?" The doctor looked up. "His nerves may have been affected by Phase Three, but the tingling is good. It means the feeling is coming back. Can you feel this?" Chuck felt the doctor pinch the skin on the back of his hand and he whipped his hand protectively to his chest.

"Ow! What was—?"

"Good. You'll lose the tingling in a few minutes, I'm sure. Now, what's the last thing you remember?"

"Last thing I—" Chuck paused and thought back. Before waking up in De Smet's cabin, he remembered the gondola with Rye, and how the Intersect wasn't working even while he hung off the edge of the gondola, his feet dangling what seemed like miles above the snow covered ground. "I was knocked out of the door of the gondola while Rye fought De Smet's men. Then Rye was standing over me and I was begging him to help me up, but he wouldn't."

"He wasn't going to help you?" the doctor asked, his eyes flicking over to a stone-faced Sarah.

"No, he kept saying I had to focus, I was—I was looking death straight in the face and the only thing I had to rely on had to be the Intersect, or something like that." Chuck could almost feel the way his fingers slipped against the metal of the gondola, how certain he was that he was going to die if Rye didn't help him up.

"He was testing you," the doctor said, although there was a hint of a question in it.

"Yeah, yeah he was. The whole time we were there, he repeated over and over and over that I relied too much on Sarah. That I wouldn't flash if I knew Sarah would be there to save me." He felt his girlfriend's body tense with anger and he didn't have to look at her to know her eyes were narrowed, her jaw clenched. "He wouldn't let me up until I told him I didn't need her."

Now he looked at her, not caring that a stranger was in the room with them. "I wouldn't do it. I couldn't tell him that because I do need you. And I'd rather have you than the Intersect." He swallowed the lump in his throat, and the unsettling memory of Sarah during the videoconference, insisting on helping him, insisting that he couldn't protect himself without the Intersect, came back to him full force. He looked away from her softening eyes and pulled his hand from hers, wiping both of his palms on his pants nervously.

"And what'd he say?" the doctor asked, seeming to ignore the moment between two lovers.

"I…don't remember. But it didn't matter anyways because De Smet shot him then pulled me back into the gondola. He called Sarah. And when the gondola landed, his men were there waiting. And—And, uh…That's it. That's all I can remember."

"You can't remember anything else?"

"No." Chuck shook his head. He didn't remember how he'd gotten to Thailand. There was no waking up fitfully, wondering where he was or who he was with. No waking up in the cabin…at least, he didn't remember any of it if it did happen.

"Any dreams? Anything Doctor Mueller might have implanted in your mind that wasn't there before?"

Chuck squinted, trying to remember something…anything…but it was all foggy. "Uh, I…no. Fleeting images maybe. I dunno. My head really hurts."

Sarah's hand rubbed comfortingly down his arm, her fingers sliding up beneath the sleeve of the white t-shirt he wore before stroking down to his elbow. It was such a simple thing, a soft touch with the pads of her fingertips, but to Chuck it was like he'd been given the greatest gift known to mankind. He'd missed it more than words could express.

"Well, here. Take two of these and get some more rest."

"More rest? Don't mean to argue, Sir, but haven't I been sleeping for days, here? I feel like I'm sleeping my life away." He let Sarah lay him back against the pillows, her fingers rubbing his temple. He moaned softly at the sensation, the pain in his head ebbing a bit. He didn't even mind the doctor witnessing his moment of weakness. He decided he'd just enjoy the sensation and stop worrying about his slight squeamishness about PDA.

There was amusement in the doctor's tone. "Just a little while longer, Chuck, and then you can get back to your regular sleeping pattern. You need to let your brain rest." He slipped the pills into Chuck's hand and Chuck swallowed it, allowing Sarah to sit him up for some water.

"Doesn't your brain work harder when you're sleeping than when you're awake. What about some tv?" Chuck asked with a lazy smile. "Turn on some reality shows and I promise my brain will be completely dormant."

He saw Sarah's lips turn up on the ends as she continued smoothing a hand over his temple, ear and neck comfortingly. Doctor Sandlin ignored his quip completely. "Agent Walker, we need to get him some food. I don't know how long it has been since he's eaten."

_ . Months._

"Oh. Yes. I'll get some." He felt Sarah get up from his side, her hand sliding from his head, and he almost reached out to pull her back when the doctor chuckled.

"I think you're needed here. I'll have a nurse bring a tray in. In a little while."

"Oh. Thank you."

The door shut a moment later and Chuck felt the weight of Sarah's body against his side again, her arm draping over him and her nose nuzzling into the underside of his jaw. He grinned. There was the Sarah he knew and loved. Even after they'd been dating for more than a year, Sarah morphed into the professional agent she'd been before they met when she was in front of a government official. The impenetrable mask slipped over her beautiful features, her shoulders straightened, and her voice became deep and business-like. But the moment they were alone or with family, that all went away. Everything about her softened. She let her guard down. Even then, she was still the strong, independent woman she'd always been, but now she was comfortable pressed against him.

"I love you, Chuck," she whispered into his ear and a wide grin erupted on his face, his eyes still shut, his heart racing and his headache already feeling better as he focused on the warmth of his super spy flooding over him like a heated blanket.

"I love you, too."

"I know you don't have the Intersect anymore, or maybe it's been suppressed…Either way, it doesn't matter. Not to me." She lifted her head and he opened his eyes, feeling a bit weak and droopy from whatever pills Sandlin had made him take. Sarah was peering down into his face, letting her fingertips stroke over his ear and jaw lightly.

God, she was perfection in human form. He still had no idea what she'd gone through to find him, but she _had _found him. She was still such a mystery to him sometimes, and other times he felt he knew her better than anyone else in the world. He wanted so badly for all of this, everything, to just disappear and leave the two of them alone.

But for now, he'd take what he could get. The doctor was gone, the nurse wouldn't be back with his food for some time yet, and they were alone together. But Sarah had just mentioned the Intersect, hadn't she? She had. And her eyes were flickering, as though she were nervous about his response, waiting for him to answer.

"It doesn't?" he asked, unable to keep himself from running his hand over her hair. Her eyes slipped shut for a moment and she pressed her face against his hand.

"No," she breathed, her tired eyes piercing his. "Chuck, everything you are, everything that's special about you, that's all you. _Not _the Intersect. I fell in love with you. _You_. Not the computer in your brain." Her hands framed his face as she spoke, holding his gaze to hers. But he couldn't have looked away if he wanted to.

It wasn't that he'd doubted her love for him. He hadn't really thought she fell in love with him because of the Intersect. But the truth of the matter was that he was a better spy with the Intersect. Sarah Walker was the best spy in the world. She was straight-up bad ass. She was the most beautiful woman in the world, with the best body. At face value, she was the epitome of what every straight man in the world, hell _universe_, wanted. But she was even more than that. Sarah's heart was incomparably warm, and it hadn't taken him long to figure that out, as hard as she'd tried to hide it from him, from Casey, from her superiors. And when her heart was at its fullest, her smile was enough to leave him a little lightheaded. And her hands…they were… Sarah was the type of woman who deserved only the best man. The type of man who was chiseled out of the same stone as someone like Superman, a man impervious to pain, a man who could be a good spy without the use of a super-computer in his brain. In all honesty, while he knew she loved him with or without the Intersect, a part of him had been convinced that she would love him a little less if he was without it. He thought he didn't deserve her _before_ his mom had taken the Intersect from him, and now…

Well, Chuck was certain no man in the world would ever deserve Sarah Walker.

But she seemed pretty certain no one deserved her more than he did.

And as he gently pulled her head down for a kiss, her arms slipping around him and squeezing him tightly, Chuck made the decision to trust in Sarah's love for him. She whispered words of love against his lips, and for once, she was the one using words. For once, as he kissed her back, his fingers tingling for a different reason as they dragged down her sides, he was the one unable to speak what was in his heart.

* * *

**A/N: **Hi.

So I'd love it if you amazing readers would leave me a review. Constructive criticism, praise, exuberance...I'll accept it all! Or if you haven't the time to review/decide not to make the effort, that's fine too. As long as you read and enjoy, I'm happy!

Thanks again to everyone who reads and reviews! I'm talking to you guest reviewers, too!

Happy Holidays, everyone!


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